The computer hacker lifestyle has always intrigued young technology users. It’s easy to imagine dark rooms, dimly lit by old CRT monitors as one cyber-hero stays up to 3 a.m. probing the dark corners of the web. Okay, so maybe we can’t all be like the Hollywood movie hackers, quickly typing away at a DOS prompt to prevent Earth’s certain demise, but we can learn about the topics and issues surrounding computers in the 21st century. There are a massive number of issues with today’s technology, namely what to do with digital data, analytics, computer security and the future of bots.
Hacking Google Analytics
Saturday, March 11
9:30 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Westin Austin Downtown – Continental 3
If you’re a digital media brand, or really any digital native personality, you should be familiar with Google Analytics. It’s the go-to tool for insights about your audience. In this panel, speaker Dylan Spencer will reveal more advanced methods of utilizing Google Analytics. Topics will include introducing third party data inside of Google Analytics, as well as tracking offline behavior and how to turn data into a useful visual representation.
Zero Day Software Vulnerabilities: Deal With It
Monday, March 13
11 a.m.– 12 p.m.
JW Marriott – Salon D
By now, it should be painfully obvious that every single computer system has some sort of security flaw, even if you aren’t aware of the exact nature of it. That’s precisely what Tod Beardsley from Rapid7 will discuss in his panel. The fact of the matter is, it’s practically impossible to ship a new set of software completely bug free. It’s important for computer enthusiasts of the future to gain an understanding of the secretive world of computer vulnerabilities, and how it can affect your online life and work.
Hacking Your Health: Future or FAIL?
Saturday, March 11
9:30 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Austin Convention Center – Room 8ABC
This panel is led by a group of MIT Hacking Medicine technology experts. The central theme of this panel is that computer hacking culture is fundamentally changing the traditional views within the healthcare industry. Of course, it’s easy to assume that all technological developments regarding healthcare are positive, but this panel will juxtapose that narrow view. These panelists are not afraid to suggest that there may be negative consequences to some modern developments in the healthcare field.
Bugs in the System: Mapping the Vulns Market
Friday, March 10
12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Hilton Austin Downtown – Salon G
After Apple refused to decrypt the iPhone used by the San Bernardino attacker, the FBI didn’t hesitate to turn to the shadowy world of hackers. It was easy for the FBI to find a firm that sold vulns, or vulnerabilities, to those willing to pay the right price. It also cast a new eye of scrutiny on law enforcement’s use of software exploits. The expert speakers at this panel won’t hesitate to ask the tough questions, “When should the government disclose the vulns it buys or discovers, and how can software companies convince bug-hunters to disclose vulns so they can be fixed, rather than selling them to criminals or governments?”
AR Hacking My Way Out Of Deep Depression
Saturday, March 11
12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
JW Marriott – Room 303-304
As a computer hardware enthusiast, this is easily one of the panels I’m most excited for. Yosun Chang’s panel is a bit different from the traditional security side of hacking. Because she was suffering from a deep depression, Chang developed 300 augmented reality hacks. Her panel will cover what she calls “the ultimate hackathon for my own life,” as we learn about her creative process, all the way from the underlying concept to the working application.